Order Clerks
Wages & Outlook
Wages
Salaries of order clerks vary. Region of the country, size of the city, and the type and size of employer all affect wages. The level of industry or technical knowledge required may also affect salary.
In addition to their salary, order clerks receive benefits. Sick leave, vacation, health insurance, and retirement plans are common.
View the Regional Wage Comparison Chart for:
Employment
In Minnesota, about 6,068 order clerks work in this medium-sized occupation.
Order clerks work in almost every industry.
Major employers:
- Internet and mail-order companies
- Courier services
- Wholesale trade companies
Outlook
As the population grows, more orders for goods and services will be placed. This should increase the demand for order clerks. However, this demand will be balanced out by the productivity gains from using computers. Demand for outside order clerks who deal with the public should remain fairly strong. The greater use of toll-free numbers and the Internet that makes "home shopping" easier will stimulate demand for these workers.
Demand for inside order clerks will be much weaker, however. Electronic data interchange is a system that allows computers to communicate directly with each other. This system allows orders between businesses to be placed with little human involvement. Other types of automation should also reduce the demand for order clerks. Inventory control and automatic billing systems allow companies to track inventory and accounts with less help from clerks. An increasing number of companies receive orders via the Internet. Thus, order clerks are not even involved in some orders. Some companies use automated menus that can be accessed with a touch-tone phone to receive orders. Developments in voice recognition technology may further reduce the demand for order clerks.
Despite the slow growth, many jobs will be available as current order clerks move to other occupations or retire. Many of these openings will be for seasonal work, especially in catalog companies or online retailers that sell to holiday gift buyers.
| Employment | Employment Change | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 2020 | Number | Percent | |
| U S | 212,100 | 227,900 | 15,700 | 7.4% |
| Minnesota | 4,087 | 4,163 | 76 | 1.9% |
| 2010 | 2020 | Number | Percent | |
| Central Minnesota | 327 | 376 | 49 | 15% |
| Northeast Minnesota | 209 | 205 | -4 | -1.9% |
| Northwest Minnesota | 329 | 369 | 40 | 12.2% |
| Southeast Minnesota | 205 | 219 | 14 | 6.8% |
| Southwest Minnesota | 122 | 127 | 5 | 4.1% |
| Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN | 2,823 | 2,799 | -24 | -0.9% |
Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and Minnesota Department of Education.
